2000 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 593 – Firefightrs retiremnt/service credt

HOUSE BILL NO. 593

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Daily Data Tracking History



H0593.......................................by COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES
FIREFIGHTERS - RETIREMENT - Amends existing law to authorize paid
firefighters to purchase service credits from the Firefighter's Retirement
System if the firefighter had been laid off between January 1, 1978, and
December 31, 1981, due to reductions in work force.
                                                                        
02/16    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
02/17    Rpt prt - to Com/HuRes
02/22    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
02/23    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
02/24    3rd rdg - PASSED - 59-0-11
      AYES -- Alltus, Barraclough, Barrett, Bell, Bieter, Black, Boe,
      Bruneel, Campbell, Chase, Cheirrett, Clark, Crow, Cuddy, Denney,
      Ellsworth, Field(20), Gagner, Hadley, Hansen(23), Hansen(29),
      Henbest, Hornbeck, Jaquet, Jones, Judd, Kempton, Kendell, Kunz, Lake,
      Loertscher, Mader, Marley, McKague, Meyer, Mortensen, Moss, Moyle,
      Pearce, Pischner, Pomeroy, Reynolds, Ridinger, Ringo, Robison, Sali,
      Schaefer, Sellman, Shepherd, Smith, Smylie, Stevenson, Stoicheff,
      Taylor, Tilman, Trail(Miller), Wheeler, Wood, Zimmermann
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- Callister, Deal, Field(13), Geddes, Gould,
      Hammond, Kellogg, Linford, Montgomery, Stone, Mr Speaker
    Floor Sponsor - Marley
    Title apvd - to Senate
02/25    Senate intro - 1st rdg - to Com/HuRes
03/15    Rpt out - rec d/p - to 2nd rdg
03/16    2nd rdg - to 3rd rdg
03/30    3rd rdg - PASSED - 35-0-0
      AYES -- Andreason, Boatright, Branch, Bunderson, Burtenshaw, Cameron,
      Crow, Danielson, Darrington, Davis, Deide, Dunklin, Frasure, Geddes,
      Hawkins, Ingram, Ipsen, Keough, King-Barrutia, Lee, McLaughlin, Noh,
      Parry, Richardson, Riggs, Risch, Sandy, Schroeder, Sorensen, Stegner,
      Stennett, Thorne, Wheeler, Whitworth, Williams
      NAYS -- None
      Absent and excused -- None
    Floor Sponsor - Andreason
    Title apvd - to House
03/31    To enrol
04/03    Rpt enrol - Sp signed
04/04    Pres signed - to Governor
04/14    Governor signed
         Session Law Chapter 322
         Effective: 07/01/00

Bill Text


 H0593
                                                                        
                                                                        
  ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
 Fifty-fifth Legislature                  Second Regular Session - 2000
                                                                        
                                                                        
                              IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
                                                                        
                                     HOUSE BILL NO. 593
                                                                        
                         BY COMMERCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE
                                                                        
  1                                        AN ACT
  2    RELATING TO THE FIREFIGHTERS' RETIREMENT FUND; AMENDING SECTION 72-1444, IDAHO
  3        CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR THE PURCHASE OF CERTAIN SERVICE CREDITS FOR BREAKS IN
  4        SERVICE RESULTING FROM TERMINATIONS DUE TO REDUCTIONS IN WORK FORCE AND TO
  5        MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION.
                                                                        
  6    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:
                                                                        
  7        SECTION 1.  That Section 72-1444, Idaho Code, be, and the same  is  hereby
  8    amended to read as follows:
                                                                        
  9        72-1444.  REFUND  TO  FIREFIGHTER  TERMINATING  EMPLOYMENT -- REPAYMENT ON
 10    REEMPLOYMENT -- CONVERSION OF CONTRIBUTIONS -- PURCHASE  OF  SERVICE  CREDITS.
 11    (1)  If the employment of a paid firefighter, irrespective of date of hire, as
 12    defined in this chapter, is terminated for any reason prior to the  completion
 13    of  twenty (20) years of service, and he cannot qualify for benefits under any
 14    other provision of this chapter, he shall be entitled to receive at  the  time
 15    of  said  termination  one hundred percent (100%) of his accumulated contribu-
 16    tions. If such firefighter is subsequently reemployed as  a  paid  firefighter
 17    with  duties which involve or are incidental to fire-fighting firefighting, he
 18    may reinstate his previous credited service by repaying to the retirement fund
 19    the full amount of  his  accumulated  contributions  provided  such  repayment
 20    includes payment of interest as determined by the board.
 21        (2)  In  lieu  of withdrawing his accumulated contributions as provided in
 22    subsection (1) of this section, a paid firefighter may elect  to  convert  his
 23    accumulated  contributions to an equivalent benefit entitlement under the pro-
 24    visions of chapter 13, title 59, Idaho Code, as if such contributions had been
 25    made by the firefighter at the contribution rate of a paid  firefighter  under
 26    the  provisions of chapter 13, title 59, Idaho Code; this conversion will nor-
 27    mally result in a higher "years of service" factor than the firefighter  actu-
 28    ally  served  under  the provisions of chapter 14, title 72, Idaho Code. It is
 29    legislative intent that this is precisely the effect to be achieved.
 30        (3)  No paid firefighter may elect to proceed under the provisions of sub-
 31    section (2) until he has been personally interviewed and advised by the direc-
 32    tor of the public employee retirement system, or his designee, on the  choices
 33    available.  The  firefighter  may  be accompanied during such interview by any
 34    person of his choice.
 35        (4)  Paid firefighters who did not participate as a member of  the  system
 36    between  January  1,  1978, and December 31, 1981, because of termination from
 37    employment due to reductions in work force may purchase  service  credits  for
 38    all  or part of that period. The cost of such service credit shall be the full
 39    actuarial cost as determined by the board and shall be paid in full  prior  to
 40    the effective date of retirement. The employer may elect, but is not required,
 41    to  participate  in  purchasing service credit under this section. In no event
 42    shall the retirement system be liable for payment of any such costs.  Termina-
 43    tions from employment due to a reduction in work force are limited to termina-
                                                                        
                                       2
                                                                        
  1    tions  that  resulted from the elimination of a position due to budgetary con-
  2    straints.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


     
     
                STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 
                      RS 09909 
     
     This bill amends section 77-1444, Idaho Code, to provide for the purchase of
     certain service credit for breaks in service resulting from termination due to
     reduction in work force. 
     
     Due to the passage of the 1% initiative in 1978, many Boise Firefighters were laid
     off due to budgetary constraints. These firefighters are under the Firefighter's
     Retirement Fund (FRF). This amendment is intended to allow firefighters who
     were laid off, the opportunity to "buy back" the time they were not employed by
     the fire department. 
     
     
                    FISCAL IMPACT
     
     There is no fiscal impact. 
     
     
     
     
     
     Contact 
     Name: Dennis Doan 
     Phone: (208)381-0042 
     Professional Fire Fighters of Idaho (PFFI) 
     
     
                                                  STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL NOTE                                   H 593